Working Life

I’ve been pretty clear that we should be significantly raising the taxes on the richest Americans–much higher than the top rates that were in place during the Clinton Administration, which is where the president-elect believes they should go. But, I’m happy at least to see some lines being drawn on estate taxes.   The Wall […]

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Maybe you feel, on days like this, the same way I do–that you live in an alternate universe. In my alternate universe, I wouldn’t consider cutting education, health care, or aid to the poor before asking the richest people in our society to pay their fair share in dues. In my alternate universe, I would […]

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  I continue to be amazed at the moral obscenity underway in our country. We are in a financial crisis, states are cutting education and health care, and we are wringing our hands over federal deficits–yet there is no serious discussion about significantly taxing the rich, who have reaped hundreds of billions of dollars in […]

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   Well, welcome back to all who have been kicking back for the past few days, including yours truly. This year is going to be quite interesting–and, unfortunately, not a happy one as far as the economy goes, or so I’m guessing. I’m not going to spend much time today on prognostications–I saw a bunch […]

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Admittedly, I’ve never been into the bi-partisan meme. Maybe it’s because I’m a labor movement person and the mission of the Republican party, and its allies, is to destroy the labor movement. But, I still remain mystified: why exactly, given the Republican party’s record, is the new Administration working so hard to win it over? […]

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  President-elect Obama has publicly stated that he wants "unconventional" thinking among the people who give him advice on the economy. Fantastic. So, here are some suggestions.    I’m throwing out these suggestions—-and welcome others—-partly because of the debate zapping around progressive circles about how critical progressives should be about the incoming Administration. I find […]

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   Today, I’m going to be talking about labor and the president-elect with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, who, for non-New Yorkers, has one of the most interesting radio talk shows in the city. It’s at 11:25 am Eastern time. Those people fortunate enough to live in NYC (okay, let’s not start a war over that…) can […]

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  Hear me out: this is an argument as much about the place of workers’ issues in the future Administration, as it is an argument for making John Edwards the next Labor Secretary.   When it comes to tackling the economic crisis, the president-elect has been pre-occupied, personnel-wise, with the question of who will be […]

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   It still seems astonishing to me that, despite the evidence that they simply can’t be trusted, the people who got us into the mess we are in–the rabid "free marketeers"–still seem to have jobs–and are being asked to continue to serve in our government and are sought after for advice. While certainly I am […]

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I’ve been reading the various proposals about how to bailout the auto industry. Some of the ideas are good but one piece floating around in the punditry is foolish and dangerous. This has to be done right–and it has to be done in a way that does not attack the workers of the industry.   […]

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